February was a good month for games, with strong sales for almost everybody regardless of platform.

For overall console sales, the NPD reports, “PS4 led hardware sales in February 2014, but by a narrow margin with Xbox One selling over 90% of what the PS4 sold in terms of unit sales. However, with Xbox One’s higher price point it led hardware sales on a dollar basis.”

And Microsoft also clarified specific numbers in a separate press release stating that the Xbox One sold 258,000 consoles “surpassing Xbox 360 sales by over 61 percent at the same point in time.” Microsoft also wrote that, combining the 360 and Xbox One, “The Xbox platform sold more hardware than any other home console platform,” which would put it above the PS3/Vita/PS4 and Wii U/3DS combinations.

But regardless of the spin, it’s good news for both companies. The NPD wrote, “Within console hardware, we continue to see strong year-over-year increases due to the success of the Xbox One and PS4,” and “The majority of hardware platforms experienced double-to-triple digit increases compared to January 2014.”

Software sales were also very positive; the NPD reported that game sales for both the Xbox One and PS4 were up 80% “when compared to the combined first four-month sales for the Xbox 360 and the PS3.”

Despite strong sales of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, which Nintendo reported earlier, the NPD clarified that the game “did not rank in the top ten when looking at title-level sales.”

February 2014 Top 10 Games (New physical retail only across all platforms, including PC)

Finally, the major game consoles are getting updates with the Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One releases are right around the corner. There will be plenty of awesome game titles for both the PS4 and the Xbox One, but even if you’re not big into gaming, these systems might have something to appeal to you. After all, the PlayStation 3 was one of the first widely popular Blu-ray disc players, and the Xbox 360 was one of the first home entertainment devices to offer Netflix’s streaming video services. And the latest-gen consoles have even more entertainment .
What the PS4 and The Xbox One Can Do
Both the Xbox One and PS4 are fully functional Blu-ray players. Microsoft only supported DVD playback for the 360, but the Xbox One will finally make the jump to Blu-ray formats, and that means you’ll be able to watch high-definition movies on your system of choice.

Both systems will also have access to online media services, like every other major gaming platform (including handhelds). You’ll be able to access Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and other services to watch television and movies and listen to music on either system.

And they both will have access to large libraries of on-demand movies, television shows, and music, but this is where they start to differ. On the Xbox One, you’ll be able to rent or buy content from the Xbox Live Movies & TV and Music Stores. PS4 users will be able to rent or buy content from the Sony Entertainment Network and access Sony’s Video Unlimited and Music Unlimited on-demand services. The availability of movies, music, and television shows might differ slightly between the two services, but they’ll both carry most major releases from studios and labels.

What Xbox One Does More
The Xbox One goes much further in home entertainment value with its television integration. The system has an HDMI pass-through and infrared blaster that you can connect to your cable or satellite box to integrate TV watching into the Xbox One. The process and features are explained in more detail in How to Watch TV on Your Microsoft Xbox One, but it basically lets the Xbox One take control of your cable or satellite box so you can browse programming alongside online media services in the Xbox One OneGuide and change channels using your voice and the Kinect. The Xbox One also lets you use apps and services while watching television; apps can be snapped to the side of the screen so they don’t obscure the television signal.

We’ll have to play with the Xbox One and Kinect ourselves to see how well this feature works, but the idea of switching between your favorite channels and shows with your voice and watching TV alongside the different apps and features of the Xbox One dashboard sound very useful. This could turn the Xbox One into the real killer in non-gaming applications, and makes it stand above the PS4 as a pure home entertainment hub.

These features come at a price, though. The Xbox One already retails for $100 more than the PS4, and using online media services requires a subscription to Xbox Live Gold, which costs $60 per year. You can use all of the PS4’s media features without subscribing to PlayStation Plus, and the system itself retails for $399 to the Xbox One’s $499. If you watch a lot of television, and perhaps watch TV far more than you’d even care about playing games, the Xbox One is a better bet.

As the Xbox One finally touches down, Microsoft is ready to enter a new era of console gaming and take on a new generation of multimedia consumers.

The company described the Xbox One as “the ultimate all in one entertainment system – one system for a new generation.” It has the second generation of Kinect baked in nice and deep and has powerful specs similar to those of the Sony PS4.

The Xbox One wants to be the one-stop entertainment solution for your living room, integrating live TV, games, movies and web services like Skype, all controlled using Kinect’s improved voice recognition features.

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Xbox One release date, news and features

Xbox One release date, news and features
Updated Microsoft has revealed its console to take on the PS4
By James Rivington 17 hrs ago
86 comments

Xbox One release date, news and features We’re coming at you live from the launch event in Redmond
Related stories

As the Xbox One finally touches down, Microsoft is ready to enter a new era of console gaming and take on a new generation of multimedia consumers.

The company described the Xbox One as “the ultimate all in one entertainment system – one system for a new generation.” It has the second generation of Kinect baked in nice and deep and has powerful specs similar to those of the Sony PS4.

The Xbox One wants to be the one-stop entertainment solution for your living room, integrating live TV, games, movies and web services like Skype, all controlled using Kinect’s improved voice recognition features.
Xbox One specs

There’s also the addition of a Blu-ray drive, which marks Microsoft’s first move to embrace the disc format created by Sony et al, which vanquished HD DVD back when TechRadar was but a glint in someone’s eye.

So as expected, then, the Xbox One is more like a mini-PC than any Microsoft console that’s come before. These specs put the console on a par with the PS4 and bode well for developers who want to make cross-platform games.

The console has not only an HDMI-out port but also HDMI-in too. This is for interfacing with set-top boxes in order to integrate the Xbox One with your TV-watching experience. As far as you’re concerned, you’ll only have one device instead of two.

Home
News by technology
Gaming
Consoles
Xbox One release date, news and features

Xbox One release date, news and features
Updated Microsoft has revealed its console to take on the PS4
By James Rivington 17 hrs ago
86 comments

Xbox One release date, news and features We’re coming at you live from the launch event in Redmond
Related stories

As the Xbox One finally touches down, Microsoft is ready to enter a new era of console gaming and take on a new generation of multimedia consumers.

The company described the Xbox One as “the ultimate all in one entertainment system – one system for a new generation.” It has the second generation of Kinect baked in nice and deep and has powerful specs similar to those of the Sony PS4.

The Xbox One wants to be the one-stop entertainment solution for your living room, integrating live TV, games, movies and web services like Skype, all controlled using Kinect’s improved voice recognition features.
Xbox One specs

There’s also the addition of a Blu-ray drive, which marks Microsoft’s first move to embrace the disc format created by Sony et al, which vanquished HD DVD back when TechRadar was but a glint in someone’s eye.

So as expected, then, the Xbox One is more like a mini-PC than any Microsoft console that’s come before. These specs put the console on a par with the PS4 and bode well for developers who want to make cross-platform games.

The console has not only an HDMI-out port but also HDMI-in too. This is for interfacing with set-top boxes in order to integrate the Xbox One with your TV-watching experience. As far as you’re concerned, you’ll only have one device instead of two.

kinect 2
Xbox One: Kinect

The Xbox One has Kinect functionality built into its very core. To turn the console on, you need only say the words “Xbox on” – the console is always listening.

A live demo at the launch event showed Kinect instantly responding to hand gestures and voice commands. That simply isn’t possible on the current hardware with the Xbox 360 and suggests that Kinect v2 is the gesture and voice controller we always wanted it to be.

The demo showed the ability to switch between games, videos, music and live TV instantaneously using simple voice commands such as “Xbox watch TV”. You can even ask to watch a specific channel – HBO was an example they used – and Xbox will take you there straight away.

Microsoft says that Kinect 2 is to fast and powerful that it detects motion in just 13 billionths of a second – the time it takes light to get from you and into the camera.

The Kinect sensor as a resolution of 1080p which means its footage will look great on your HD TV, and it captures video at 60fps which means footage that’s lovely and smooth.

The camera aslo has a field of view that’s 60% bigger than the original Kinect which means less faffing around trying to stand in the exact spot it tells you to. That combined with the more powerful means you’ll be able to get a lot more people gaming with Kinect all at one time.

What’s more, Microsoft says that the new Kinect uses infra-red, which means it works in complete darkness.

Home
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Xbox One release date, news and features

Xbox One release date, news and features
Updated Microsoft has revealed its console to take on the PS4
By James Rivington 17 hrs ago
86 comments

Xbox One release date, news and features We’re coming at you live from the launch event in Redmond
Related stories

As the Xbox One finally touches down, Microsoft is ready to enter a new era of console gaming and take on a new generation of multimedia consumers.

The company described the Xbox One as “the ultimate all in one entertainment system – one system for a new generation.” It has the second generation of Kinect baked in nice and deep and has powerful specs similar to those of the Sony PS4.

The Xbox One wants to be the one-stop entertainment solution for your living room, integrating live TV, games, movies and web services like Skype, all controlled using Kinect’s improved voice recognition features.
Xbox One specs

There’s also the addition of a Blu-ray drive, which marks Microsoft’s first move to embrace the disc format created by Sony et al, which vanquished HD DVD back when TechRadar was but a glint in someone’s eye.

So as expected, then, the Xbox One is more like a mini-PC than any Microsoft console that’s come before. These specs put the console on a par with the PS4 and bode well for developers who want to make cross-platform games.

The console has not only an HDMI-out port but also HDMI-in too. This is for interfacing with set-top boxes in order to integrate the Xbox One with your TV-watching experience. As far as you’re concerned, you’ll only have one device instead of two.

kinect 2
Xbox One: Kinect

The Xbox One has Kinect functionality built into its very core. To turn the console on, you need only say the words “Xbox on” – the console is always listening.

A live demo at the launch event showed Kinect instantly responding to hand gestures and voice commands. That simply isn’t possible on the current hardware with the Xbox 360 and suggests that Kinect v2 is the gesture and voice controller we always wanted it to be.

The demo showed the ability to switch between games, videos, music and live TV instantaneously using simple voice commands such as “Xbox watch TV”. You can even ask to watch a specific channel – HBO was an example they used – and Xbox will take you there straight away.

Microsoft says that Kinect 2 is to fast and powerful that it detects motion in just 13 billionths of a second – the time it takes light to get from you and into the camera.

The Kinect sensor as a resolution of 1080p which means its footage will look great on your HD TV, and it captures video at 60fps which means footage that’s lovely and smooth.

The camera aslo has a field of view that’s 60% bigger than the original Kinect which means less faffing around trying to stand in the exact spot it tells you to. That combined with the more powerful means you’ll be able to get a lot more people gaming with Kinect all at one time.

What’s more, Microsoft says that the new Kinect uses infra-red, which means it works in complete darkness.

xbox one
Xbox One controller

The new Xbox controller is very much based on what’s come before, but under the hood there are 40 technical design ‘innovations’. The pad has an integrated battery which takes AA batteries. Microsoft confirmed to us that this will work much in the same way as the 360’s, but the integrated build will obviously be a lot more comfortable. The biggest change from a gameplay point of view are that the re-designed triggers will now give you vibrating feedback in-game. All of the other buttons and surfaces have been tweaked as well, but most of the changes are out of sight.
Xbox One: discs

The Xbox One games will come on Blu-ray discs but they’re only for one-time use. Once you’ve installed the games onto your hard drive, you no longer need them as the game is tied to your Xbox Live account. This is a similar idea to that employed by Steam and Uplay on the PC.
Xbox Live upgraded

Live is the most popular online gaming platform on the planet and it’s getting a huge behind-the-scenes overhaul for the new generation.

While current games servers number roughly 15,000, Microsoft is expanding that to a barely conceivable 300,000 in order to ensure you have instant access to your games and content no matter where you are.
Xbox One personalisation

You can turn on the Xbox One by simply walking over and talking to it. It turns on instantly, and Kinect will recognise you and take you straight to your own personalised home screen. Here you have access to your own personal movies and music, as well as leaping straight into your own save games.

Home
News by technology
Gaming
Consoles
Xbox One release date, news and features

Xbox One release date, news and features
Updated Microsoft has revealed its console to take on the PS4
By James Rivington 17 hrs ago
86 comments

Xbox One release date, news and features We’re coming at you live from the launch event in Redmond
Related stories

As the Xbox One finally touches down, Microsoft is ready to enter a new era of console gaming and take on a new generation of multimedia consumers.

The company described the Xbox One as “the ultimate all in one entertainment system – one system for a new generation.” It has the second generation of Kinect baked in nice and deep and has powerful specs similar to those of the Sony PS4.

The Xbox One wants to be the one-stop entertainment solution for your living room, integrating live TV, games, movies and web services like Skype, all controlled using Kinect’s improved voice recognition features.
Xbox One specs

There’s also the addition of a Blu-ray drive, which marks Microsoft’s first move to embrace the disc format created by Sony et al, which vanquished HD DVD back when TechRadar was but a glint in someone’s eye.

So as expected, then, the Xbox One is more like a mini-PC than any Microsoft console that’s come before. These specs put the console on a par with the PS4 and bode well for developers who want to make cross-platform games.

The console has not only an HDMI-out port but also HDMI-in too. This is for interfacing with set-top boxes in order to integrate the Xbox One with your TV-watching experience. As far as you’re concerned, you’ll only have one device instead of two.

kinect 2
Xbox One: Kinect

The Xbox One has Kinect functionality built into its very core. To turn the console on, you need only say the words “Xbox on” – the console is always listening.

A live demo at the launch event showed Kinect instantly responding to hand gestures and voice commands. That simply isn’t possible on the current hardware with the Xbox 360 and suggests that Kinect v2 is the gesture and voice controller we always wanted it to be.

The demo showed the ability to switch between games, videos, music and live TV instantaneously using simple voice commands such as “Xbox watch TV”. You can even ask to watch a specific channel – HBO was an example they used – and Xbox will take you there straight away.

Microsoft says that Kinect 2 is to fast and powerful that it detects motion in just 13 billionths of a second – the time it takes light to get from you and into the camera.

The Kinect sensor as a resolution of 1080p which means its footage will look great on your HD TV, and it captures video at 60fps which means footage that’s lovely and smooth.

The camera aslo has a field of view that’s 60% bigger than the original Kinect which means less faffing around trying to stand in the exact spot it tells you to. That combined with the more powerful means you’ll be able to get a lot more people gaming with Kinect all at one time.

What’s more, Microsoft says that the new Kinect uses infra-red, which means it works in complete darkness.

xbox one
Xbox One controller

The new Xbox controller is very much based on what’s come before, but under the hood there are 40 technical design ‘innovations’. The pad has an integrated battery which takes AA batteries. Microsoft confirmed to us that this will work much in the same way as the 360’s, but the integrated build will obviously be a lot more comfortable. The biggest change from a gameplay point of view are that the re-designed triggers will now give you vibrating feedback in-game. All of the other buttons and surfaces have been tweaked as well, but most of the changes are out of sight.
Xbox One: discs

The Xbox One games will come on Blu-ray discs but they’re only for one-time use. Once you’ve installed the games onto your hard drive, you no longer need them as the game is tied to your Xbox Live account. This is a similar idea to that employed by Steam and Uplay on the PC.
Xbox Live upgraded

Live is the most popular online gaming platform on the planet and it’s getting a huge behind-the-scenes overhaul for the new generation.

While current games servers number roughly 15,000, Microsoft is expanding that to a barely conceivable 300,000 in order to ensure you have instant access to your games and content no matter where you are.
Xbox One personalisation

You can turn on the Xbox One by simply walking over and talking to it. It turns on instantly, and Kinect will recognise you and take you straight to your own personalised home screen. Here you have access to your own personal movies and music, as well as leaping straight into your own save games.

xbox one
Xbox One: always on? Nope!

One rumour that put the fear of God into many gamers was that the new Xbox would require an always-on internet connection. But this is in fact not true. “No, it does not have to be always connected,” says Microsoft, “but Xbox One does require a connection to the Internet. We’re designing Xbox One to be your all-in-one entertainment system that is connected to the cloud and always ready. We are also designing it so you can play games and watch Blu-ray movies and live TV if you lose your connection.”
Xbox One games

Microsoft has announced that its own games studios will release 15 games in the first year of the Xbox One’s life cycle. Other than that, we also know that FIFA 14 will launch on the console with exclusive content, and the new COD game, Call of Duty: Ghosts, will also have exclusive content on the Xbox.

Xbox One: backwards compatibility

Because the Xbox One uses a completely different system architecture to that of previous Xbox consoles, it will not be compatible with any Xbox 360 games.

However, it is yet to be seen whether the cloud might come to the rescue and allow games to be streamed over the web. Perhaps E3 has the answer…
Xbox One release date

Microsoft sadly made no mention of an Xbox One release date during its Redmond launch event. However, more details are promised for E3 in July which is when we should find out when we can expect to get our hands on one. However, that hasn’t stopped retailers opening pre-orders already.

Many industry experts actually predicted that we’d finally get some hard Xbox info at GDC this year but Microsoft confirmed to TechRadar that turned out not to be the case.

All indications are that the next Xbox will arrive in time for Christmas 2013.
Microsoft briefly stated that the new Xbox is imminent in an interview with the Verge before swiftly backtracking and issuing a moderately embarrassing denial.

This is further backed up by a Microsoft job advert which confirms a new Xbox launch is imminent.

Further rumours of an Xbox release date of pre-Christmas 2013 was backed up at the end of November 2012 by a Bloomberg report which cites sources at Microsoft and says we are likely to see the new Xbox make its debut at E3 2013.

But then! In January, a report from Game Informer suggested that we’d actually see Microsoft bust out an all-singing all-dancing event to launch the new Xbox around Game Developers Conference in March.

Why no E3 reveal? Because Microsoft wanted to make a splash away from the noise of the mega-show. Unfortunately, the report indicated that Sony had the same idea for the PS4…
Xbox One price

No pricing info has yet been revealed by Microsoft – expect this when we get official confirmation of worldwide release dates.

That leaked document we mentioned earlier mentions a $299 (£190) price point which sounds gloriously ambitious to us. Expect the Xbox price to be a bit more than that but assuming the PS4 launches around the same time, expect some competitive pricing.
Xbox Mini

Strong rumours are building that Microsoft is planning a double assault on the console market. The new Xbox will allegedly be joined in the cabinet by an Xbox MIni – a small, Apple TV-like device based on Windows 8, with the ability to stream Xbox 360 games from the cloud.

Catch up on all the highlights from the Xbox One launch event in the video below:

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